Rick Perry Calls Obama’s Presidency ‘Destructive’

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(DYERSVILLE, Iowa) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry Monday dropped the criticism he’s directed towards his Republican rivals over the past four days and instead turned his attacks on President Obama, saying despite the promise of “hope and change” in his 2008 campaign, he has delivered only “destructive” results.

“President Obama ran a great campaign, but his campaign was on hope and change, and there weren’t a lot of details,” Perry told a crowd of around 50 people packed into the Country Junction Restaurant. “We sure got some change. I agree there. But the change that we got has been, it’s been destructive to our country.”

Perry repeated a line he introduced in early November, asking the crowd, “Are you better off today than you were $4 trillion ago?” to which several voters in the crowd shouted “No!”

Before leaving the Country Junction Restaurant located near the real “Field of Dreams,” Perry picked up a little snack for the bus ride -- a coconut creme pie, baked from scratch -- and marveled at the pie as he held it up for cameras.

“It looks good enough to eat. I’m fixin’ to,” Perry said.

Perry signed a few items before he shook his last set of hands and walked out the door, even drawing a giant heart in front of one of his autographs.

The Texas governor squeezed in a run between his events in Manchester and Dyersville Monday afternoon.